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WWE Hall of Fame
The World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for professional wrestlers maintained by WWE. It was officially created on the February 1, 1993 episode of the World Wrestling Federation's (WWF), the predecessor of WWE, Monday Night Raw television program. On this episode, the sole induction of WWF alumnus André the Giant, who had died five days prior (January 27, 1993), was announced; his death was the reason for the creation of the Hall of Fame. After André's induction, the WWF continued the process of inducting members into the Hall of Fame. For these inductions, ceremonies were held to formally induct the candidates from 1994 to 1996; no video footage has ever been released by WWE of these ceremonies. After the 1996 ceremony, the WWF stopped the inductions of wrestling personalities into the Hall of Fame without a formal announcement. In 2004, WWE relaunched the Hall of Fame to coincide with the twentieth WrestleMania. This ceremony, like its predecessors, was not broadcast on television, however, it was released on DVD on June 1, 2004. Beginning with the 2005 ceremony, WWE broadcast the final few inductions into the Hall of Fame on Spike TV (2005) and on the USA Network (2006 -present ); these were aired on tape delay. The first inductions were broadcast on WWE's official website. The 2008 edition of the Hall of Fame was broadcast live on the USA Network. Since 2005, the Hall of Fame ceremony has been packaged as part of that year's WrestleMania DVD release.WrestleMania 21, 22, 23, and XXIV DVD's Although a building has never been built to represent the Hall of Fame, WWE has looked into constructing a facility for the Hall of Fame. In 2008, Shane McMahon, then-Executive Vice President of Global Media of WWE, stated that WWE had been storing wrestling memorabilia in a warehouse for years, with all items categorized and dated in case a facility is created. Induction into the Hall of Fame is dependent upon whether the candidate is on good terms with WWE. Former WWE employees who often criticize WWE or currently work with a different promotion have not been inducted. Others, such as Bruno Sammartino, the longest-reigning WWE Champion in the title's history, are alienated from the promotion and refuse to be inducted, despite having been asked several times. As of 2010, there have been a total of 88 inductees, with 72 members inducted individually, five tag teams and one wrestling family inducted. Fifteen of the individual inductees have been inducted posthumously. André's sole induction in 1993 was the fewest number of inductions into the Hall of Fame in one year, while 2009 had the most, with 13 inductees. Inductees , inducted in 2004.]] , inducted in 2005.]] , inducted in 2005.]] , inducted in 2005.]] , inducted in 2006.]] , inducted in 2006.]] (left) and Jim Ross (right), inducted separately in 2007.]] , inducted in 2008.]] , inducted in 2009.]] (inducted in 2005), Jimmy Snuka (1996) and Ricky Steamboat (2009).]] and Dory Funk, Jr., inducted in 2009.]] , inducted in 2010.]] |- |1994 | | | |- |1994 | | | |- |1994 | | | |- |1995 | |Diesel | |- |1995 | | | |- |1995 | |Doink the Clown | |- |1995 | | | |- |1995 | | | |- |1995 | | | |- |1995 | | | |- |1996 | | | |- |1996 | | | |- |1996 | | | |- |1996 | | | |- |1996 | |Triple H | |- |1996 | | | |- |1996 | | | |- |2004 | | | |- |2004 | | | |- |2004 | | | |- |2004 | | | |- |2004 | | | |- |2004 | | | |- |2004 | | | |- |2004 | |Triple H | |- |2004 | | | |- |2004 | | | |- |2004 | |Kane | |- |2005 | | | |- |2005 | | | |- |2005 | | | |- |2005 | | | |- |2005 | | | |- |2005 | | | |- |2005 | | | |- |2006 | | | |- |2006 | | , , and | |- |2006 | | | |- |2006 | | | |- |2006 | | | |- |2006 | | | |- |2006 | | | |- |2007 | | and | |- |2007 | | | |- |2007 | | | |- |2007 | | | |- |2007 | | | |- |2007 | | and Sabu | |- |2007 | | | |- |2008 | |Triple H | and ten-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion. Recognized by WWE as a sixteen-time World Heavyweight Champion. Flair was the first active WWE wrestler to be inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame.}} |- |2008 | | | |- |2008 | | | |- |2008 | | | |- |2008 | | | |- |2008 | | | |- |2009 | }} | | |- |2009 | }} | | |- |2009 | | | |- |2009 | | | |- |2009 | | | |- |2010 | | and | }} |- |2010 | | | }} |- |2010 | | | }} |- |2010 | | | }} |- |2010 | | | One-time holder of the Boston version of the AWA World Heavyweight Championship. Portrayed as a flamboyant, arrogant, charismatic villain, George is credited with helping establish wrestling on television in the 1940's and 1950's. }} |- |2010 | | | }} |- |2010 | | | }} | 2015 - The WrestleMania for that ceremony's year is included due to the ceremonies taking place the night before WrestleMania and being apart of its production. * - Before 2004, the WWE did not hold ceremonies on the night before that year's WrestleMania. References External links *The WWE Hall of Fame * Hall of Fame Hall of Fame